Clarification of payment for steakhouse shop

The mystery shop is at a steakhouse. It say it pays up to $35 for your meal but does that also pay up to $35 for each person I take with me, I can take up to 3 people.

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More About Steakhouse Restaurants

Have never done a steak shop, usually the restaurant type shops pay a set amount and have guidelines for number of guests and/or if children are permitted. Would love a steak shop right now.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2015 08:14PM by sbobgal.

I have performed high-end steak shops that paid a much higher flat fee/reimbursement and limited to two adults. I have never seen a shop that pays a fee per person.

It sounds like $35 period. Just because it said you can take up to 3 people, it doesn't necessary cover steaks for 3 people.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

It's a flat reimbursement of $35. With the ordering requirements, you will most likely pay out of pocket for your guest(s).

Shopping Boston and North Shore MA

From you're brief description, it sounds like this if for RBG. I can confirm the payback is ONLY $35.00 no matter what total bill is. Still, I love these shops and take them whenever I have the chance. RBG is one of my favorite MSC's.

edit: If I'm correct on the MSC, one of the reasons I l like the shop is no beverage requirement (get water, it's free), and it I can usually get a family of four out of there for 40 or less plus tip. YMMV.

proudly shopping in the D.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2015 09:01PM by PaulinMI.

As RESO said, it reimburses a maximum of $35, regardless of how many people you take with you. If you eat hamburgers and drink water, you can feed 3 people for $35, counting tax and tip. If you have drinks, appetizer, and/or you eat steaks, you will likely spend more than $35. I can generally feed me and one other person and stay within the reimbursed amount. Three is tough.

@AustinMom: I think in the guidelines it is requested someone in your party get a steak. That may have changed, it's been a few months. However, it does not say what type of steak, and I usually try to shop on Wednesday, when they have a nice special price on steaks In my area.

proudly shopping in the D.

This steakhouse must be in a totally different part of the US. The steakhouse shops that I perform charge around $35.00 or more just for the steak! But the meat melts in your mouth.

I have done this steak house many times and you were not required to order a steak, There are shops where you are, such as the "western theme" steak house. (If we are both talking about the same steakhouse, with the cinnamon butter for your bread?)

You can spend that much if you want to at this place, but you don't have to. The first thing you get when you sit down is a bucket of peanuts and the servers line dance in the aisles about every half hour. I, too, grab them every chance I get - we only have one in the area, and it goes quickly! No rotation-waiving around here! You snooze; you lose

In my area the steak requirement still stands. I usually order in a combo and I have never been questioned.

If it is RBG, I just took my hubs and two kids to this shop and we did it all for $35 with a generous tip. I'm lucky because my kids are still bird eaters but I'd love to do this shop again!

@Sybil2 wrote:

This steakhouse must be in a totally different part of the US. The steakhouse shops that I perform charge around $35.00 or more just for the steak! But the meat melts in your mouth.

The 'high-end' steakhouse shops in my area have a much longer report (but at least there's a very high reimbursement limit and a $15+ fee) compared to this $35 (or $25) steakhouse shops the OP may be talking about.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

That's one of the reasons these are so popular - the reports are a snap! Timings and checkboxes unless something wasn't correct; then you have to write a bit of narrative.

@Lisa4984 wrote:

That's one of the reasons these are so popular - the reports are a snap! Timings and checkboxes unless something wasn't correct; then you have to write a bit of narrative.

Exactly. And when an additional fee is added later in the round for the locations they have trouble filling in, it makes the shop even more attractive.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

Wow you guys! My mouth is watering for a good steak. Can the shop be done solo?

@Tarantado wrote:

The 'high-end' steakhouse shops in my area have a much longer report (but at least there's a very high reimbursement limit and a $15+ fee) compared to this $35 (or $25) steakhouse shops the OP may be talking about.

I must be talking about a different type of steakhouse. I have never been to a steakhouse that serves cinnamon butter for your bread or gives you a bucket of peanuts while servers line dance in the aisles. There is a whole other world out there, huh?

@bestofbothworlds wrote:

Wow you guys! My mouth is watering for a good steak. Can the shop be done solo?

I bought sockeye salmon for dinner but now I am craving a filet mignon with Bernaise sauce instead!

Beckerpa, It would help us answer your question if we knew who the MSC was. It would not be a violation for you to name the MSC, as you have not named the client/steakhouse. It sounds like the fee is $35, total. Read the guidelines carefully, to see if only your meal will be reimbursed.

Others have mentioned that this sounds like a steakhouse that Reality Based Group shops. However, I do not recall their guidelines stating that a shopper can take up to three people, though I may be wrong.

@Beckerpa wrote:

The mystery shop is at a steakhouse. It say it pays up to $35 for your meal but does that also pay up to $35 for each person I take with me, I can take up to 3 people.

I believe it is Reality Based Consultants the OP is talking about. I did this shop last Monday. The video mentioned one steak must be ordered, but the instructions had no mention of a steak so we did not order one. The video seemed a bit dated anyway so I hope they just changed their guidelines along the line. I love steak but can't get anything but their fall off the bone ribs. Mmmmmmm.

but yes, $35 for the meal total. My husband and my bill came to around $45 for two more expensive menu items, so we just get a cheap dinner at one of our favorite restaurants!

It is RBG as stated above. You are allowed up to a party of 4, but still a $35 reimbursement.

bestofbothworlds, there is a dinner at the bar shop you can do alone. The reimbursement is $25 - I can get a steak dinner and one of the following: app (I choose the free peanuts and bread), cocktail (Margarita w/Kicker - only one), or dessert (too full to think about it). I am a generous tipper. Last time, I spent $28, and it was well worth every penny of that $3!

I have never ordered a steak there. My friend did when he went with me. I always order the shrimp or chicken. There was a shop I did there once where they wanted you to stay no more than 45 minutes and one where you must stay at least 45 minutes. I had a hard time with the "no more than 45 minutes" because I wanted to relax and gather my observations. The ordering was slightly different too.

@Sybil2 wrote:

This steakhouse must be in a totally different part of the US. The steakhouse shops that I perform charge around $35.00 or more just for the steak! But the meat melts in your mouth.

It's not that. I just picked up a $200 steakhouse shop in the same area. The $35 shops are for casual dining and roadhouse-style shops.

@RESO wrote:

It's a flat reimbursement of $35. With the ordering requirements, you will most likely pay out of pocket for your guest(s).

Most definitely. I don't care for the restaurant, since they don't have many options in the menu that I enjoy, but my five year old loves their bread. I take the shop about once every rotation for the location by my house. Incidentally, the only menu item I enjoy is the $18 filet, so the the $35 is never enough. If it weren't for my daughter, I probably wouldn't take them.

The ones I have done are $35 flat fee. I've looked over their menu and my best friend and I can have a great dinner, two entrees and two drinks, one appetizer, tax and tip and hit $35 exactly.

Silver certified for 11 years and happily shopping Arizona!

I just did one of these. My guest and I ordered what we wanted, and the check with a generous tip still came in at under $35. I felt I had cheated myself.

Next time, order dessert to go!

That's happened to me a couple of times. Luckily there was no drink limit, so I just ordered another cocktail and tacked on the second receipt to the reimbursement.

If you do them again, af517, check your guidelines - currently, it's one drink per person.

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Clarification of payment for steakhouse shop

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